Solution-mixing sprayer



July 31, 1951 N. CHASE 2,562,415

' SOLUTION-MIXING SPRAYER Filed Aug. 17, 1948 w j I l Summer I Nome/s OM55 I -.1.1 3 I attorney;

Patented July 31, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SOLUTION-MIXING SPRAYER Norris Chase, Inglewood, Calif.

Application August 17, 1948, Serial No. 14,676

4 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a device embodying means for mixing a solution into the flow therethrough. I

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution-mixing sprayer that embodies an automatic valve controlled by the main flow of liquid, and a manually adjustable metering valve controlling a diverted portion of the main flow to thereby control the solution-mixed flow from the sprayer. I

Another object of the invention is to provide in a sprayer, of the character indicated, a novel form of automatically expanding flow control valve.

Another object of the invention is. to provide in'such a sprayer a novel form of manually adjustable valve for controlling the diverted portion of the main flow through the sprayer.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several viewsj Fig. 1 is a side elevationaliview of a solutionmixing sprayer according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken sectional view thereof as taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line '3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The solution-mixing sprayer that is illustrated comprises, generally, an inlet pipe 5, a body 6 connected to said pipe and embodying therein a metering valve I for controlling a diverted portion of the main flow through the body from the inlet pipe and an automatic flow control valve 8 therebeyond, means 9 for adjusting the metering valve 7, means It] receptive of the diverted flow for producing a solution and for discharging the same into the body beyond the flow control valve 8, an outlet pipe II comprising a passage for the undiverted flow and the intermixed so- 2 I lution from means II], and a shower or refresher head I2 for discharging said flow in the form of a spray.

The device thus generally described may have many uses, and is more particularly adapted for shower or refresher type of bathing wherein the means I0 mayembody bathcrystals, salts, water softeners, liquid soaps, perfumes, toilet water, bubble bath materials, shampoos, or types of bath additives. According to the invention, these materials are preferably dry or crystalline form.

The body 6 is shown as a length of hexagonal stock that has an internal thread I3 for connecting the same with inlet pipe 5, a longitudinal passage I4 for receiving flow from said pipe and extending to an annular shoulder I5 intermediate the length of the body, a smaller coaxial passage I5 beyond said shoulder and .an internal thread IT for connection to outlet pipe II, a hole I8 extends transversely downward through the body and intersects passage I 4, there being an elongatedopen-ended tube I9 fixedly held in said hole to receive a portion of the flow from said passage, the same being controlled by valve I. Another hole 20 extends from passage I6 downward at an angle toward hole I8 to serve as a return passage for the flow into tube I9. Encircling the lower ends of holes I8 and 20, the body is provided with an annular downreaching integral collar 2| that has internal threads 22. A lateral threaded hole 23 intersects passage I4 substantially in line with'hole I8.

The metering valve I comprises a split sleeve 24 so loosely fitting in passage I4 that flow from pipe 5, in part, may pass between said sleeve and the wall of the passage. As will be later seen,

this diverted flow, which enters tube I9, may be regulated by the means 9.

The automatic valve 8 is shown as a conical sleeve 25 that is restricted on the outlet side of the flow and has an annular flange 26 engaged against shoulder I5 and held thereagainst by flow through said sleeve. The sleeve is made of elastic material such as rubber which will expand and contract according to the amount and pressure of liquid passing therethrough. This valve does not shut ofi the flow at any time, but its restricted end merely expands as the pressure increases to give a greater flow therethrough and automatically contracts when the pressure is reduced. This resistance to flow through said sleeve results in passage I I being under greater pressure than passage I6. The high pressure in passage I4 causes diverted flow into tube I9 in an amount controlled by the setting of valve 1.

The means 9 comprises a threaded stem 21 in hole 23, the same being provided with a conical end 28 that serves to both locate sleeve 24 and spread or release the same for normal contraction. The screw stem 21 is fed axially by means of a knob 29 thereon which when threaded inward, expands sleeve 24 to restrict flow into tube l9 and, when said sleeve is in full expanded engagement with the wall of passage [4, completely shuts oil such flow. The knob is shown with a spring-urged selector pin 39 that coperates with detent seats 3| formed in a face of the body to hold the means 9 in selected adjustment, the number of said detent seats being variable according to whether fine or coarse adjustments are required. A stop in 32 carried by the body and extending into an arcuate slot 33 in the knob prevents loss of the knob and controls its adjusting movement within the end limits of slot 33.

The means :9 embodies tube l9 and a preferably transparent container 34 that is remevably held by the threads 22 of collar 2|. Said container is adapted to hold a quantity of material 35 as hereinabove mentioned. The tube i9 extends into said material short of the bottom of the container. A gasket 36 seals the container from leakage around its open end.

The operation of the device is quite simple. Water flows into passage [4, is retarded by valve 8 to build up pressure in said passage resulting in part of the water seeking egress through tube 19. The main flow passes through valve 3, ex-

panding the same according to the pressure dediverted flow circulates from the bottom of tube l9 up through the material 35. This latter flow dissolves some of this material and the resultant solution then passes through hole 29 and intermixes with the main flow beyond valve 8 in low pressure passage Hi. This mixture then passes through outlet pipe H and finally, as a spray, out of head 12.

It will be seen that the flow is not manually regulated but the flow through means is so regulatable that a desired solution can be obtained.

While I have illustrated and described what I now regard as the preferred embodiment of my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to restrict myself to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but desire to avail myself of all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire'to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sprayer structure, a body having a flow passage formed with an intermediate annular shoulder, a flow-retarding member comprising an elastic tubularly conical member positioned axialveloped, and the ly in said passage with the reduced end thereof on the outlet side of the passage, said member being provided with an annular flange engaging said shoulder and held thereagainstby the pressure of flow through the passage, said body having a hole for diverted flow resulting from increased pressure on the inlet side of the passage caused by said conical sleeve, a split sleeve loosely disposed in said passage on the inlet side of the body and aligned with said hole, and manual means for variably expanding said split sleeve to control flow into said hole.

2. In a sprayer structure, a body having a flow passage formed with an intermediate annular shoulder, a flow-retarding member comprising an elastic tubularly conical member positioned axially in said passage with the reduced end thereof on the Outlet side of the passage, said member being provided with an annular flange engaging said shoulder and held thereagainst by the pressure of flow through the passage, said body having a hole for diverted flow resulting from increased pressure on the inlet side of the passage caused by said conical sleeve, a split sleeve loosely disposed in said passage on the inlet side of the body and aligned with said hole, and manual means for variably expanding said split sleeve to control flow into said hole, said latter means comprising a threaded stem penetrating the body and entering said passage, said stem having a conical end in the slit of the sleeve for both locating and wedging the same to spread condition with respect to the wall of the passage.

3. In a sprayer structure, a body having a flow passage formed with an intermediate annular shoulder, an elastic flow-retarding member positioned axially in said passage and having a larger flow-receiving end and a smaller flow-retarding and discharging end, an outer annular flange on the larger end of the member and engaged with said annular shoulder and held thereagainst by the pressure of flow through said passage, said body having a hole for diverted flow resulting from increased pressure on the inlet side of the passage caused by said elastic member, a split sleeve loosely disposed in said passage on the inlet side of the body, and aligned with said hole, and manual means for variably expanding said split sleeve to control flow into said hole.

4. In a sprayer structure, a body having a flow passage, a flow-retarding member intermediate the ends of said passage and held therein by pressure of flow in the passage, said body having a hole for diverted flow resulting from increased pressure on the inlet side of the passage caused by said flow-retarding member, a split sleeve loosely disposed in the passage on the inlet side of the body and aligned with said hole, and manually-operable means for variably expanding said split sleeve to control flow into said hole.

NORRIS CHASE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 707,712 Nethery Aug. 26, 1902 1,032,879 Carlton et a1 July 16, 1912 1,079,721 Pungs Nov. 25, 1913 1,488,125 Kline Mar. 25, 1924 1,776,741 Schwab Sept. 23, 1930 1,964,576 Home June 26, 1934 2,090,719 Alt Aug. 24, 1937 2,095,899 Yancey Oct. 12, 1937 2,142,947. Kretzschmar et a1. Jan. 3, 1939 2,460,647 Miller Feb. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 562,398 France Nov. 9, 1923 

